NHL Player News

Gavrikov notched two assists, three shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Gavrikov has logged consecutive multi-point efforts after going scoreless in the first three games of the year. The defenseman is playing alongside Adam Fox on the top pairing, so Gavrikov should continue to see plenty of ice time, at least at even strength and on the penalty kill. Over five contests, Gavrikov has earned a goal, three assists, seven shots on net, five hits, 13 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating.

Zibanejad notched two assists, three shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Zibanejad has been pretty good to start the season, earning a goal and four assists over five games. He's added nine shots on net, six hits, five blocked shots and a plus-4 rating while filling a top-six role and a spot on the power play. Zibanejad should continue to be a fairly steady source of offense considering he's earned at least 50 points in eight straight years, including the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Shabanov scored a goal on two shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Sabres.

Shabanov netted his first goal of the year during the second period. The 25-year-old winger has gotten a good assignment early in the campaign, seeing time alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Danila Yurov in a top-six capacity. Shabanov did fine in his rookie year in 2025-26, earning 18 points over 44 regular-season games with the Islanders, but he has the potential to do significantly better across the board in 2026-27 if he stays in Minnesota's top six.

Ostlund scored a goal on two shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Wild.

Ostlund's tally at 3:55 of the third period set the Sabres on the comeback trail. It was his first tally of the season in three games. He's added two assists, seven shots and a plus-2 rating while playing in a second-line role. Ostlund produced 27 points over 60 regular-season outings as a rookie last year. He has breakout potential in 2026-27 as a scoring-only option for fantasy.

McTavish scored a goal on two shots and added three hits in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks.

McTavish tallied in the second period for his second goal in three games this season. The center has added eight shots on net, seven hits and an even plus-minus rating while working on the second line. McTavish looks set to hold onto a second-line role for now, though if he runs into a slump, Dalibor Dvorsky could push him for that spot.

McMichael scored a power-play goal on five shots, added an assist and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks.

McMichael had scored earlier in the game, but a review for offside wiped that tally off the board. He got it back late in the third period for his first goal and multi-point effort with the Blues. Through three games, he has three points, eight shots on net and a minus-1 rating. The 25-year-old is operating as a second-line winger centered by Mason McTavish, which is a position that should help McMichael's offense stay steady this year.

Hofer allowed two goals on 19 shots in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks. The last two Chicago goals were empty-netters.

Hofer wasn't able to replicate what he showed in the Blues' season opener when he had a 25-save shutout against the Stars. The Blues at least kept it close, but Hofer ended up with his first loss of the season. Despite the poor result Tuesday, the 26-year-old's play should give him the edge for starts if head coach Jim Montgomery starts to lean on one goalie. Hofer and Jordan Binnington have alternated so far, and it's not yet clear if that pattern will continue Thursday at home versus the Sharks.

Rinzel scored a power-play goal on two shots in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Blues.

The official scoring fluctuated during the game -- Rinzel's goal came right at the end of a power play in the second period. For now, it's a power-play tally, and it'll count as Rinzel's first point of the season either way. The defenseman has added six shots on net, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over three appearances. The Blackhawks are carrying eight blueliners early in the year, though the injuries to Andrew Mangiapane (lower body) and Teuvo Teravainen (undisclosed) could lead the team to dress seven defensemen Thursday against the Islanders. Rinzel's not safe in the lineup, but he appears to have a little more security than Kevin Korchinski or Ethan Del Mastro.

Smith scored a shorthanded empty-net goal in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Blues.

This was Smith's first point in four games for the Blackhawks. The forward continues to fill a bottom-six role, which was what was expected of him when he signed a three-year, $9 million contract with Chicago at the start of free agency. Smith has added three shots on net, six hits and a plus-2 rating. His physicality and defensive presence will keep him in the lineup a vast majority of the time, but he probably won't score enough to help in most fantasy formats.

Frondell scored a goal, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Blues.

That's a second consecutive multi-point effort for Frondell, who looks to be getting more comfortable in a second-line spot. The center has a goal, three helpers, six shots on net, five hits and an even plus-minus rating across four contests this season. The 19-year-old rookie should already be rostered in dynasty formats, but he has the potential to produce enough offense to make waves in redraft leagues this year.